Daemon Fever
by OracleEvolution
Summary: When Stefen is struck with some 'fever', can any one save him? I promise it isn't as cliche/sorry as it sounds. First of many chapters I hope.
1. Default Chapter

Nightmares. Funny, how one never gets used to them. They never used to plague Stefen's sleep, but now.... Now, everytime he closed his eyes as he held onto Vanyel, he saw a girl with strawberry gold hair, long and curly, raising her eyes to a rainy sky and crying out something horrible, before waking up with his own cry.   
  
Maybe that's why he found himself here at the Bardic hall so late, playing for long spaces of time. But tonight, he was feeling dizzy...too dizzy to be from just normal long playing. And the more he thought about it as his fingers went through the motions (he knew Shadow Lover by heart, he didn't even have to think about the fingers anymore), Stefen discovered that it was happening more frequently. With every passing night he let himself sleep, the girl became more clear to him in the dream. More clear in her appearance, actions and personality, and it was beginning to seriously bother him.   
  
Of course Stefen hadn't told Vanyel, that would be like inviting the Herald-Mage to drag him to the Healers and worry his beautiful head about it. And Stefen did not think Vanyel needed anymore silver in his glossy black hair.   
  
The music was benign to meld together, and Stef couldn't decipher his notes from the other bards he was playing with in the stifling Hall. It sounded...jangled and disconcerting. He paused, wiping his face off with his hand before continuing. Gods, it was hot in here.... No one else seemed to noticed, or if they did, hid it better then Stefen could.   
  
It began quietly enough, a soft cry, growing into quiet weeping with each passing note. Stefen looked around hazily through blurred eyes. No one else could hear it apparently, since no one else was reacting. But how could they not hear it? It was -all- around the hall now.  
  
'Gods,' he thought, 'am I going insane?' First the dizzy spells, the headaches, no appetite, the odd dreams, and now hearing a woman crying? That no one else could hear. "Wait, stop for a moment..." he said. Or try to. At that moment some god who had no mercy for him at the moment decided to make the hall spin out of control and Stefen felt himself fall, and heard from far away, "Someone call Herald-Mage Vanyel and a Healer!"   
  
And all through it, the woman was still sobbing out heart wrenching cries, begging without words, from somewhere in the back of Stefen's conscience. Or lack thereof.  
  
  
****  
  
The page ran as quick as he could to the white stoned room where Herald-Mage Vanyel and Herald -Mage Savil were in conference. Without waiting for proper entrance, he burst inside, red faced and out of breath. The two Heralds looked at him, eyebrows raised in almost unison.   
  
"Yes?" Savil said a little acidly after a few moments of the page's huffing.   
"Milord...Milady...I do apologize for interrupting, but Bard Stefen....he...f-fainted while playing at the Hall.....Two other pages took him to the Healer's building..."   
  
The page trailed off, but as soon he got to the part of Stef being taken to the Healer's, Vanyel was up and grabbing his cloak, and out the door before another word was spoken. Savil stood up at a more leisurely pace- about half a second after Vanyel- and followed him out into the semi-chilly evening air.   
  
The page stood there for a moment or two and then quickly began running after them, catching up to Van after a few more paces. "Just follow me, I know what healer he has as well."   
  
Vanyel had faced plenty in his life. Crazed Mages, monsters that had to be from the nine pits of hell, losing 'Lendal.... But what new enemy could be hurting his new love now? It scared him more than being on the front line at the Borders, he thought.   
  
  
  



	2. Helpless

Stefen slowly opened one burning eyes, looking around. Gods, he ached. He ached with every fiber of his being. But the more burning question was: Where was he?   
  
It didn't feel like Vanyel's room and it wasn't the Bardic Hall. It was cool inside, Stefen knew that deep down, but the hot, heated sense on his body refused to let the coolness ease away the burning fires engulfing him. All he could feel right now was the burning sensation and his want...no, his need, for Vanyel.   
  
He looked around groggily, and saw a blurry shape. It was tall, but then again, he was laying down. Finally his sight came into focus. It was a woman, leaning over him and placing a cool rag on his forehead and holding his wrist in her hand. She had long, goldish-reddish hair done up in a knot to the nape of her neck.   
  
Her brow was knitted in what Stefen assumed was worry and concentration. She looked down and seemed to realize he was awake partially. "Hello sir Bard." she spoke softly, with a slight smile. "Glad to see you're waking. You gave everyone quite a scare."   
  
Stefen wanted to say he was sorry and ask where Vanyel was. He -needed- him here. He was scared and confused and wanted only to be held by him. But all the came out of his lips seemed to be a soft moan. 'I'm supposed to be good with words.' he thought to himself in a daze.   
  
"Shhh...easy now, easy.... Your lifebond has been notified and is here now. He's waiting outside with Herald Mage Savil. Do you think you have the strength to see him?" she soothed. Vaguely, Stef felt the prickings of Empathy comforting him. If he hadn't been so drugged or rather, so feverish, he'd have jumped up and run to the door. But for now he only nodded softly, lest the room start spinning.   
  
The Healer smiled and said, "All right, you stay right here and don't try to move."   
  
'I couldn't if I tried.' Stef thought and settled back to another surge of hot pain through out his thin body. But he also felt himself shivering with fever chills. Why? Why was this happening? He cried out weakly, and heard muffled voices and then two pairs of feet going towards him. One set was heavier than the other, and eventually, Vanyel came into sight.   
  
Stefen raised his eyes to this greatful sight, however Van's mouth was round in a surprised O, his eyes wide and brow knitted. "Oh...oh gods, Stef.... Oh gods...." was all the herald Mage could say. But what else could he say? Here was the love of his life and for the first time in all of his being, Vanyel 'Demonsbane' Ashkevaron felt helpless.   
  
  
  



	3. The plot thickens

"There is hope. I've seen cases more severe that Bard Stefen's before, my lord. However,  
I wouldn't think it's like a passing case of the flu. We need to get him healed as soon as possible, and  
fast before it spreads and starts killing." The healer said, after packing a sturdy looking  
cloth bag full of bottles and viles and dried herbs, more than Vanyel had seen.   
  
Vanyel sat there, besides a half conscience Stefen, holding a damp cloth to the hot  
forehead. "Is it safe to move him?" Vanyel asked hoarsely. The healer, of whom Vanyel  
still didn't know what to call her, not knowing her name, nodded.   
  
"Aye, it's not like a broken bone or a concussion. Tell me.. it's rumoured that you do  
indeed know some Hawkbrothers.... By chance, could we go there? In my experience, the  
outdoors are the best place to recover from this Daemon Fever." she said, lifting her eyes  
to his.   
  
"Daemon Fever?"   
  
She nodded. Vanyel was almost afraid to ask why they called it that, but he did anyway.  
"Why do they call it that?" he asked, his voice sounding more sturdy than it actually was.  
The healer met his eyes once again, and he realized that shouldn't lie to him as long as she  
held his sight.   
  
"You've been attacked by demons before, my lord Vanyel. You know what that's like."   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
He was burning, he knew it, Stefan knew he had to be burning. The ache in his head had  
been replaced by a terrible burning sensation that spread throughout his body, and his  
stomach rolled over worse than he could remember feeling before in his life. Stefan hurt,  
and he felt like he was going to drown in all that pain and misery. He'd never become a  
great bard, never hold Vanyel again, or be held by his love. Never again....  
  
And then the fire was shoved aside softly by cool fingertips caressing his unbearably  
feverish forehead. The fingers twined into his hair, gently stroking his damp hair back. It  
felt so nice, soothing. They could only belong to one hand.   
  
"Van?" he whispered through his dry and cracked lips and opens his eyes up a little.   
  
"Yes love it's me, it's me...." Vanyel said, leaning down a little in his chair to clasp Stef's  
cheeks gently in his palms, kissing the poor, cracked lips of his singer.   
  
"No!" came a hoarse whisper from the bard. "You can't get this Vanyel, Valdemar needs  
you more than me."   
  
"Shhhh... No ashke, no. Tallis says it isn't contagious in that way, only if we engage in  
making love or heavy kissing can I catch it. And seeing as how you are in no condition for  
either, we needn't worry at all." Vanyel said as he scooped Stef's light frame into his arms  
and braced the young bard on his chest. Stefan closed his eyes and leaned back,  
swallowing. Or tried to anyway.   
  
"Who's Tallis?" he asked, keeping his eyes closed.   
  
"The healer who brought you here and sent word to me. She's a very capable lady, though  
I'm ashamed to say, I had my doubts in the beginning. She's sending word to Moondance  
and Starwind now with my seal. They will come with herbs for you, or we to them, and  
we'll heal you love, we'll set it all right." Vanyel murmured soothingly to Stefan, resuming  
the gentle stroking of his hair. Stefan leaned into it, and felt Vanyel's arm go acrossed his  
chest to help him keep upright.   
  
Vanyel drew in a sharp breath. "You're burning up Stef...."   
  
Stefan weakly nodded against Vanyel's strong chest, but couldn't manage much more than  
that.   
  
"I'm sorry Van.... I know I'm too much trouble, but... please don't leave me? Please?"   
  
Vanyel blinked, but said nothing but, "Shhh... never worry Stef, I love you; I'll never leave  
you, never." And with an incoherent mumble, Stefan sank back into a thankfully dreamless  
sleep.   
  
A few moments later, Tallis came in, her reddish blonde hair glowing dimly in the weak  
firelight (when the light hit his eyes, Stefan had groaned and whimpered so badly, they  
doused most of it out). "I sent message by falcon. Ref will get it to them by the morning.  
If he comes back with no note, they will be coming here, and if there is a note, we leave in  
that hour." she said.   
  
Vanyel nodded in reply. "Thank you...for all you've done, Lady Tallis."   
  
She shrugged it off softly and checked Stefan's breathing patterns. She touched a hand to  
his forehead, and Vanyel could have sworn it glowed for a split second. "You've done  
much more for myself and for Valdemar, Vanyel. This is the least I can do." She paused a  
moment. "If his stomach is still this upset in two hours, I'll give him the fever reducing  
tincture through a device of my own."   
  
Vanyel was mildly startled and quietly shifted his position as Stefan shifted his. "How do  
you know that?" he asked, keeping his voice hushed for Stefan's sake. She glanced up at  
him and again, only shrugged softly.   
  
"An effect I can do, I suppose. Why I became a healer, to ease others suffering." she took  
her hand away, and it was then that Vanyel noticed the small gold band glitter on her ring  
finger in the dim light.   
  
He nodded a little towards her hand. "Your husband must be very happy, to have such a  
caring wife."   
  
Tallis smiled a little, but it was tinged with a bitter sadness. "Aye.... Well, Dorian was a  
wonderful man. He... he cared about me more than anyone else ever bothered to. I loved  
him, very much...."   
  
Instantly Vanyel felt like bashing his head in. He should have kept his mouth shut. "Oh...  
I'm ..I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...."  
  
"Nay, nay, it's fine. Dorian was a bard, you know. He didn't train here, but where ever he  
did train, he did it well. He played beautifully. And when he looked at a person...you felt,  
special I suppose." She laughed a little. "It took him a month to be able to talk to him, he  
said. I still don't know why, but... he chose me to love.  
  
"And when he died...", she took a breath, "I prayed the gods would take me too."   
  
Vanyel nodded, "I know that feeling," he said.   
  
Tallis met his gaze and asked, "With Tylendal?"   
  
"Yes." He couldn't say anything more on that subject. "So, you still wear the wedding  
ring? How long...? If you don't mind my asking...."   
  
"Four years, he's been gone to the ShadowLover. Four very long, very hard years. But  
I'm still here" she quirked another small smile.   
  
Before Vanyel could say anything else, Tallis continued, "It was winter, actually, before  
winter solstice. He smiled as he waved over his shoulder to me, promising to be back in a  
fortnight, and then he left for his war torn homeland. And he just...never came back...."  
she trailed off, and then shrugged her shoulders again, as if shrugging off any emotional  
feeling at all.   
  
Another question pricked at Vanyel's mind and before he could stop himself, he asked,  
"How old are you?"   
  
Tallis didn't even turn around as she mixed the fever reducing tincture in a small glass  
bowl. "Four and twenty today, by next autumn I'll be in my twenty-fifth year."   
  
'She's so young.... I expected her to be older....' Vanyel thought to himself, but then felt  
Yfandes prickling in his mind.   
  
::Chosen! Is Stefan all right?:: Her mindvoice sounded urgent to Vanyel.   
  
::He...he will be love, he will be. We have a good healer here.::  
  
::So I've heard. Tallis Summerland. She is very good in her field. She was almost Chosen,  
you know. Keran felt a draw to her, but then realized she was meant to be a Healer, not a  
Herald.::  
  
::Pity, she could use someone to love her like a Companion would.::   
  
::I know, her husband dying like that. If it hadn't been for her twin sister, she never would  
of lived to see twenty.::  
  
::She has a twin?:: Vanyel was surprised.  
  
::Yes. You would have thought they both would have been in Healing, seeing as how they  
are just about mirror images of each other.::  
  
::She's not?::   
  
::No, she's a Herald. Jovvi's her name. She's Keran's actual Chosen::   
  
::Hmmmm, Interesting...:: Before Vanyel got anything more out, Tallis came back into the  
room. Van hadn't even noticed she'd left.   
  
"After we get the herbs from the Hawkbrothers, we need to get Stefan in a tub with cold  
water. It'll be hell, and I'm sorry ahead of time, but there isn't any other way."   
  
Vanyel looked up to her and then to Stefan, who moaned softly in his sleep. "Just tell me  
what to do."   
  
More to come soon, I promise! 


	4. Healing a little more than just the viru...

OK, so soon turned out to be almost a year..... I am REAL sorry about that, but when your computer decides to just die.... and when you don't have any money.... Ah well, works now, right? On with the show!   
  
Disclaimers: Well, duh.   
  
The herbs came within an hour, and for as much trust as Vanyel held in Moondance and his knowledge of healing, he still felt his mind prickling in shock. The herbs Tallis had requested were hard to come by, and even though Vanyel knew the Hawkbrothers would never wish harm to come to himself or Stefan (even if they hadn't met him yet), he also knew their laws and beliefs. They staid where they were, and others staid where they were. It wasn't to be cruel, or malicious, it was just their ways. Vanyel understood and respected as much.  
  
Tallis had been obtaining a tub large enough to fit Stefan in comfortably when the messenger hawk came. An eagle owl, it was, which also surprised Vanyel. He wasn't expecting a direct bird from them, but then again, he wasn't expecting Moondance to come in person. The packs of herbs were attached with tassels for the bags. Some were dried, some were fresh, and all were odd shapes and colours he had never seen before. The only root Vanyel recognized was thorntail, used to reduce pain and fever. It was poisonous if not dried, one of the reasons it wasn't grown at Haven. What if some unknowing person took it to relieve a headache and strained it fresh?   
  
Such were the lives of Healers that made Vanyel's mind spin and wonder who the true saviours of Valdemar were.   
  
"Here already?" Tallis has come back, hauling a large looking tub with her. Freshly scrubbed and spotless it was porcelain with metal around its hull. Vanyel wondered who Tallis knew to get this thing hauled to her healing quarters. The Healer seemed to take to herself, and Vanyel had his own suspicions that very few outside of her patients were ever in here.  
  
"Most excellent," Tallis breathed as she surveyed the package. "He got everything we need, including tamerine powder. Your friend is most skilled in the art of herbalism."   
  
Vanyel nodded as he finished taking the tub from the fireplace and to the center of the room. She had said the water needed to be cold, after all. "Moondance is one of the most experienced Hawkbrothers at healing, and despite his age, he knows as much as the elders."   
  
"I'm glad he could help us, then. I know the Hawkbrothers are famous reclusives."   
  
"Almost as famous as yourself?"   
  
She bristled a bit as she mixed together the strange herbs and the powdered tamerine in a mortar and began to grind it together. "No one said I had to be the proverbial Mother to everyone simply because I'm a Healer. The myth of Orianna the Great Mother is simply that. A myth." She moved to place the crushed herbs and powder into a kettle filled with water and set it on the stove. "Healers break too."   
  
Vanyel thought about this a moment and finally nodded. "So do Heralds."   
  
Tallis regarded him a moment before nodding, and motioning to help her fill the tub with the fresh well water that had been brought up with the ordered tub.   
****  
Dry. Heat. Pain. Stefan breathed in a bit. Gods he hurt. His gut clenched painfully with every tensed breath. He knew there was someone else besides Vanyel in the room with him, wiping his brow and whispering soft thing that he couldn't make out, holding his hair back when he heaved the contents of his stomach up, and still rubbing his back when there was nothing else and the heaves were simply dry. The voice was softer than Vanyel's, the hand uncalloused from years of playing the lute.   
  
Her touched reminded him of those ballads of the wounded soldiers in silent pain and need, an angel disguised to take away what was painful and sickly. The words spoke of pain and a need that Stefan had never felt until tonight. Yes, he had been hungry before when he lived with Gurd, he had been beaten, and he had felt sick. But nothing in the words of those songs had ever touched him in the way of experiencing. He now knew the value of 'torn by swords of fiery flame', and the havoc wreaked by sorrow and pain.   
  
It reminded him of how young he truly was.   
  
And then the ever lingering presence of Van, holding him, cradling after all lucid speech had left Stefan and he was reduced to a whimpering mass of fever, pain and ache. Even after Vanyel had to leave him to get the messaging bird from the Hawkbrothers (though Stefan didn't know why he had to leave), the touch and scent still remained with Stefan, giving him some comfort that his love would come back.   
  
Hours seemed to pass, day, months, and years. Stefan tried to remain awake and alert, tried to talk, to apologize for being so much trouble and almost ruining the Healer's gown, but he was silenced by a cup being pressed to his lips, and being bade to drink its contents. At first, he rebelled. It wouldn't work, he was sure he would just bring it back up. His sides and back still hurt from before. But then her persistent voice was joined with Vanyel's and this Stefan heard clearly.   
  
"Please ashke.... It will help you, I swear it. I love you too much to let anything else hurt you."   
  
Stefan would have sighed if his throat weren't so dry and he weren't so weak, but he conceded and drank. Slowly, as the healer cautioned. The liquid flowed down his throat like a miracle potion. It felt so good, Stefan couldn't imagine how he stood to be in such pain before. But then, who can remember pain once it's over, if only for a little while. It didn't make a reappearance either.   
  
His relief was shortly lived though, as he felt strong arms pick him up. From what seemed to be far away, he felt his clothing being gently pulled away and replaced with something much shorter over his waist and legs, above the knees. He would have blushed horribly if he had the strength to muster the blood to his face. He heard a faint "You can turn around now," which made the ordeal seem a little less embarrassing.   
  
Finally, Vanyel's voice became clear again, close to his ears. "Love, I'm so sorry, but we have to place you in here."  
  
Stefan would have asked why Vanyel was sorry, he was feeling better bit by bit, save for the heat he was still radiating, and what did they have to place him in? He didn't need to ask before he was plunged into the coldest water in his life.   
  
****   
"Hold his legs Vanyel, I'll hold his arms!" Tallis shouted above Stefan's hoarse cries and thrashing. Her front hair was wet and clinging to her face and throat as she tried to gather Stefan's flailing limbs and soothe his anguished cries.   
  
"Stefan, Stefan, it's all right.... It only feels so cold because your fever's so high...." She was obviously not taking any joy in this at all. Vanyel would have noted her pained look but he was trying to restrain Stefan's legs without hurting him. The water was cool yes, but not icy as had first been predicted it should be. Too cold and it would hurt him. As it was, Stefan already seemed to be in discomfort.   
  
"How long does he have to be in this thing?" Vanyel shouted acrossed to Tallis.   
  
"Half a candlemark." came the answer.   
  
"What!?" Vanyel shouted, half from surprise, half to be heard.   
  
"Don't worry, once his body absorbs the poultice, his temperature will start to lower, and he'll become accustomed to the water and stop fighting so much."   
  
Vanyel had his doubts as Stefan's hoarse howls and struggling didn't seem to fade a bit, but then who can measure time effectively in times like this? Vanyel held his grip, and tried to talk to Stefan, not sure if he was being heard or not.   
  
Eventually, though not soon enough Stefan's cries softened to whimpers and then ceased altogether, as did his struggling. He was still encased in the water, but by now, much of it was on Tallis and Vanyel as well.   
  
Vanyel's worried and expected silver eyes were on Tallis as she took Stefan's vital signs. "Is he all right?" If he wasn't....   
  
"He's fine, just tired himself out, plus the medicine I gave to him has a drowsy side effect. His pulse is lowering, and I'll bet anything that so is his temperature. Only a little more time to go, and we can take him out, get him into some fresh clothes and you two can cuddle under the covers in my spare room over there." Tallis nodded to the door way on the very left of the room they were in, and offered Vanyel an incredibly rare smile.   
  
He felt himself smiling back as he nodded his thanks.  
  
After the time was up, Tallis went to her linen chest to grab some clothing to fit Stefan while Vanyel pulls his beloved out. Stefan shivered a little and pulls himself closer to Vanyel while Vanyel pulled off the strange short pants, and proceeded to dry Stefan off.   
Tallis returned to their side, offering not only clothing for Stefan, but for Vanyel as well. It was then he noticed he too was almost as wet as Stefan had been. He blushed as he took them, thanking the Healer again and made his way toward the bedroom.   
  
Vanyel wondered how late, or early it was, and glanced over his shoulder to the window. The stars were fading, but it was still dark. So it had to be around an hour or so before first light. No doubt Healers kept those hours all the time.   
  
Vanyel pondered that as he tucked Stefan into the bed and under the covers and himself into dry clothes. Tallis was a mystery to him. She kept herself recluse, why? Because she was afraid of getting hurt, falling in love? Vanyel remember how he was after Tylendal died, and after four years the pain had lessened. Not gone away, it never went away, but he let people get close to him again. If Tallis had indeed lost her husband four years ago, wouldn't friendship be what she wanted, needed? Why then didn't she?   
  
Despite her prickly behaviour, and his sexual preferences, he could tell she was pretty, and could be nice when she wanted to. She had, after all, been very tender towards Stefan, wiping his brow and mouth. She had motherly tendencies after all.   
  
Deciding to go outside the room and help her clean up, Vanyel spared another glance and soft kiss to Stefan's sleeping lips, marveling at how cooler he felt than before. "Sleep dearest, I'll be back real soon."   
  
Vanyel's intentions had been to go help Tallis clean up and straighten what he could, but upon arrival, he saw she had taken care of that already.   
  
Tallis looked up to Vanyel, half expecting him to say Stefan's fever had risen again, or the like of. "Is he all right?"   
  
"Yes, Stefan's fine, sleeping like a baby actually. I wanted to see if I could help you clean up, but it appears you've already done so."  
  
"Oh," she said, looking around. "Yes, I've had experience cleaning up messes worse than this, so it wasn't a problem." She looked around a bit, unsure of what to say next. Vanyel felt the same way, but he would have felt bad just leaving her dangling and returning to Stefan.   
  
"Tallis, I-" he started to say, but was cut off quickly by the healer.   
  
"Vanyel, stop. Say no more. I know what you're thinking, what you want to say. But I can't." Vanyel felt confused. Had she misunderstood what he wanted to say? He was about to explain himself to her, but before he could, Tallis continued.   
  
"I can't open myself to people, not like I used to. Things...happen, they change. To accept friendship is like accepting a bottle of poison in a silk bag. At least it is to me. I want to trust, I want to love. But not now. I can't now. Dorian's memory is still very fresh in my mind, and I just...can't. I want to change, but I also want to do my job. And if I'm too occupied with my other life as Tallis Summerland, and not Healer Tallis, my patients can suffer. They will suffer. And if my patient is my friend, or lover, or even my child, I may not have the clearest judgment to...to let them go if need be. And I don't think I can be hurt again like I was before. There wouldn't be anything left. Do you understand what I'm saying, Vanyel Demonsbane?"   
  
The emphasis on his name was evident, and it was clear why she used it. He did understand, more than anyone else, probably. She needed her solitude to heal her heart. 'Who heals the healer?', is the famous proverb among healers, often said jokingly. But here, it held value. The answer was the healers themselves. These were people who had to be self-reliant, completely and totally, and for someone like Tallis, that meant trying to be alone as much as possible.   
  
Not every story has a happy ending. And even as Vanyel hugged Tallis, and even as she let him do so, he realized that aside from himself and Stefan, and her twin, Jovvi, it was unlikely Tallis would open herself up to anyone else for a long, long time.   
  
People go their owns ways. Some fall in love, and some depart from love, and dedicate their lives to serving others. And still sometimes there are some who do both and leave a lasting impression. Vanyel would never forget the words Tallis spoke to him as he hugged her, promising friendship.   
  
"I've had my happiness. Just because my love is dead, doesn't mean I haven't had him. I've had my true love, and it would be selfish of me to wish for anything else when some haven't even had that. You Vanyel, you're true love lays in a bed, asleep from fever and waiting for your embrace. Be happy for me when you kiss Stefan, because I've had that feeling before, too."   
  
What else was there to say, but a parting thanks and a quiet step towards the room and towards Stefan?   
  
****  
Ok! Last chapter coming up sooner than a year's time, I promise! So, what did you people think? :) Thanks for all the reviews and your patience on this story! 


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